Sambiya River Lodge
Sambiya River Lodge
Sambiya River Lodge is a semi-luxury accommodation found in the heart of Murchison falls national park near the top of the falls just 20 minutes. The lodge is in a Perfect position that gives a good view and experience to guests staying at the lodge and visiting the park. You can be at the lodge by road transport from Kampala via Masindi to the park which takes approximately 5 hours drive (305KM).
Sambiya River Lodge is comprised of 26 spacious and comfortable rooms and 10 Bandas with African traditional building style of grass thatched roof, that are well decorated and furnished with modern comfort. Rooms have private en suite facilities like Flushing toilets, hot and cold showers/bathtub, TV’s, satellite, solar energy available, chairs, driers, and private wooden balconies, verandas and sitting areas.
You relax while enjoying the stunning view of Murchison falls and surrounding area. Rooms are well equipped with Satellite ,TVs, extinguishers and other facilities with comfortable clean beddings and ceiling fans. There are fireplaces at the lodge that provides warmth during the night to visitors staying at the lodges. Rooms are in different categories; single, double, twin, and triple/family.
Sambiya river lodge offers more services and facilities which include a restaurant that serves different meals both international and African- inspired meals that meets the guests appetite breakfast, lunch and dinner in the dining room served by well trained, friendly and organized staff, they also serve bush dinners, a well-stocked bar with variety of drinks, local, cocktail, wines, spirits, and international beers, you relax and sip the cocktail or monktail while overlooking the stunning view of Murchison park, a swimming pool that cools off the hot afternoon of Murchison, you relax in water while enjoying the panoramic view of the park, the falls, and surrounding area, Free parking space available, Laundry services available, WIFI available at the lodge in the main building that enables visitors to keep in touch with their families and friends, business centers like conferences, meeting places, etc. Healthy and fitness centers like Spa, Gym, massage, steam bath, airport pickups, and drop-offs, Excellent and comfortable clean bedding, Craft shop available at the hotel with more African style gifts like shoes, safari essentials.
Murchison falls national park is the largest, oldest and most visited park situated in the northeastern parts of Uganda in Amuru It was formally called Kabalega national park. The park stands on the shores of lake Albert home of scarce shoebills stork occupying the total area of 3,840Km squared. The park contains over 78 species of mammals including the Big five animals like; Rhinos, Lions, Leopards, Elephants, Buffaloes, antelopes, Impalas, zebras and over 450 birds species like; water birds, savannah birds, Albertine endemic birds, etc. The park has different accommodations like; Budget, mid-range and luxury accommodation that are convenient and friendly to guests visiting the park.
Activities at Sambiya River Lodge
There are different activities to do while in the park include; Game drive, you spot different mammal species since the park has more animals, Boat cruise/Launch cruise along the Nile that gives the exciting panoramic view of the bottom of the mighty Murchison falls and enables guests to spot different aquatic animals like Hippos, Crocodiles at the river banks, water birds, etc, Hiking on the top of the falls, Hot air ballooning in the park, chimpanzee tracking in Budongo forest, Bird watching /Birding since the park has many bird species, Nature and forest walks, community visits to the local villages that encourages cultural experience mention but a few.
Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park
The Falls lie in the largest protected area of Uganda being part of the greater Murchison Falls conservation area. This includes the Budongo Forest which spreads for miles and miles and is yet to be explored. The broad stretches of the River Nile are squeezed into a narrow gap of the Rift Valley Gorge and the water roars through the narrowed gap creating the most spectacular falls in East Africa.
Daily boat cruise / launches from Paraa take visitors along the river shore and sightings of Hippos, crocodiles and all types of waterbirds including the shy shoebill, are generally plentiful.
The entire park lies lower than most of the other tourist areas in Uganda and is accordingly much hotter at certain times of the year.
North of the river, elephants are seen frequently but not in the numbers of the 1960s when herds of up to 500 were reported and the area was considered to have the highest density of elephant in Africa. All the wildlife has increased significantly in numbers since the 1990s and the park has a good, recovering population of Rothchild's giraffe (scarce anywhere else in Uganda). There are good numbers of Uganda Kob, buffalo, Jackson's hartebeest and warthog.
The vegetation in this area consists mainly of long grass interspersed with borassus palms, riverine woodlands and acacia trees (hence the giraffe).
South of the river the vegetation is mainly denser woodlands. The Budongo Forest includes the forest reserves of Budongo and Kaniyo Pabidi. This is a premier area for bird watchers and has the most varied forest fauna in East Africa. Of particular note is what is known as the "Royal Mile", the stretch of road connecting Nyabea Forestry College to the main research station and thought to be the best single birdwatching site in Uganda. Some of the more unusual bird species include the yellow footed fly catcher, ituri batis, lemon bellied crombec, white thighed hornbill, black eared ground thrush and chestnut capped flycatcher.
There are around 800 chimpanzees reported in the area and one of the best Chimpanzee tracking sites in Uganda is found in Busingiro. Other primates found in the forest include red-tailed monkey, blue monkey, black and white colobus monkey, potto and various galago species. The forests are also a first class area for tracking down the 250 butterfly species for which Uganda is famous.
Specialist guides are available for trips to see the butterflies as well as the 465 plant species found in the forest.
Read more
